Supply spindle for twisting machine

ABSTRACT

Supply spindle for high speed upstroke twisting. A blade, which surrounds an upstanding, stationary core of the spindle, has a cap removably mounted on its upper end, for rapid rotation with the blade. A filament-twisting rotor is mounted on the cap, for rotation therewith and for filament-twisting motion relative thereto. The supply package of filament is mounted on the blade, below the cap, and filament is unwound from this package. A short length of the unwound filament always runs to and over the cap, and to an upper central part of the twisting rotor, for the application of twist and for guidance to an overlying collector spindle. The filament is kept under extremely low tension, and this tension is kept substantially uniform. For these purposes the core and blade are constructed so as to avoid vibratory criticality at normal high-speed rotation of the spindle, and rapidly to dampen vibrations of the core, blade and supply package while the rotational speed rises to or falls from the normal speed, which typically amounts to multiples of 10,000 rpm.

United States Patent Pfenningsberg 51 June 27, 1972 [54] SUPPLY SPINDLE FOR TWISTING MACHINE [72] Inventor: Josef Plennlngsberg, Monchengladbach,

Germany [73] Assignee: U.S. Textile Machine Company, Scranton,

[22] Filed: Nov. 16, 1970 211 Appl. No.: 89,959

Primary Examiner-John Petrakes Attorney-Nolte and Nolte [57] ABSTRACT Supply spindle for high speed upstroke twisting. A blade, which surrounds an upstanding, stationary core of the spindle, has a cap removably mounted on its upper end, for rapid rotation with the blade. A filament-twisting rotor is mounted on the cap, for rotation therewith and for filamenmwisting motion relative thereto. The supply package of filament is mounted on the blade, below the cap, and filament is unwound from this package. A short length of the unwound filament always runs to and over the cap, and to an upper central part of the twisting rotor, for the application of twist and for guidance to an overlying collector spindle. The filament is 17 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures Pljmmmum 1972 3,672,145

SHEET 2 OF 2 I N VEN TO R Jess/y Pram/4w s EEFG ATTORNEYS SUPPLY SPINDLE FOR TWISTING MACHINE I-Ieretofore, supply spindles in twisting machines were subject to strict limitations, mainly with respect to their speed and to the dimensions and weight of a filament package thereon. Non-compliance with the strict requirements caused excessive variations in length, ballooning, tension, and other characteristics of the unwound or twisted filament, and sometimes even caused injury to the spindle mechanism. The invention greatly reduces these limitations and drawbacks. It does so by a new combination of filament unwinding and twisting devices and other spindle elements, as will be described herein.

In the drawing,

FIG. 1 is a schematic front view of a portion of a twisting machine, incorporating the new invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view drawn on a larger scale, the view being taken generally along lines 2-2'in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a detail view, with further enlargement, taken along line 3-3 in FIG. 2.

FIGS. 4, 5, 6 and 7 are plan views, partly in section, taken respectively along lines 44, 5--5, 66 and 7-7 in FIG. 3.

.As shown in FIGS. 1' and 2, a bank 10 of supply spindles ll, 12 is mounted, for example by fastening nuts 13, 14, on a rail 15. For this purpose, nuts 13, 14 are threaded onto a lower end portion of stationary core 16 of the spindle, which portion extends through the rail. Above this rail, cylindrical spindle blade 17 rotates around the core and supports tube 18 of supply package 19, which provides a filament or plurality of filaments, for example yarn to be spun into a thread. The filament may be of various types and the spindle also can, for example, spin a roving into a yarn, or apply pre-determined twisting or untwisting effects to a thread of one or several filaments. Large packages can be used according to the invention. They may typically measure 6 or 8 or more inches in diameter and several times this value, in length.

The spindle, according to the invention, has a twisting unit 20, removably and coaxially mounted on the upper end of blade 17. This unit consists of a cap 21, rotatable with the blade, and a filament-twisting rotor 22, disposed for rotation with the cap and also for rotary motion relative to the cap. A central upper part of twisting rotor 22 has guide wheel 23 thereon to guide the filament or filaments from the package over the cap, to overlying collector apparatus 24. A short length 25 of filament is unwound from package 19 and allowed freely to extend to cap 21 with a small and substantially uniform ballooning effect. From cap 21, an extremely short and substantially constant length 26 of filament runs to grommet 27 in the rim of rotor 22. This filament continues as another short and fixed length 28, extending from grommet 27 to guide roller 23 and then (29) to the collector device, usually over further guides 30, 31. Substantially uniform tension is maintained in the filaments, unwound from the supply spindle and guided to the collector. This is achieved by new internal spindle structure, which includes twisting unit and a lower supporting andbearing structure 32. The construction of these portions will now be described.

Cap 21, as shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, has, coaxially secured to its under side, a hub 33 and twist roller bearing 34 therein. Advantageously, this is a roller bearing clutch for unidirectional rotation, of a type known by itself, and particularly for a rotation of shaft 35, secured to the twist rotor. It allows turning of this shafl, in the same direction in which the cap, blade and supply package are rotated, in response to a slight difference between rotational speeds of spindle 1 l and collector unit 24. The rotation of the spindle blade can be effected by belt 36, engaging a lower part of blade 17 and driven by a suitable motor, not shown. Hub 33 is connected to blade 17 by a cone-structure 37, having a recessed part 38 coaxially inserted in and secured to the top end of the blade. Recessed part 38 is shown as having a central bearing 39 secured thereto by vertically adjustable .bolt 40. The latter bearing is rotatably supported by pointed upper end 41 of stationary core 16.

Below this point, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, rigid fingers 42, 43, 44 are secured to the outside of blade 17 for firm engagement with the inside of filament support tube 18. Near these fingers, or preferably-as shown-at their level, a bearing 45 is interposed between an upper part of core 16 (below point 41) and the inside of blade 17. Another bearing 46 (FIG. 7), shown in generally similar form, is interposed between a lower end part of the core and the blade wall portion facing it. The outside of that wall portion has a rigid structure secured thereto, which is shown as a massive ring 47 and which carries indexing and fastening means, shown as springloaded balls 48, 49, 50. They engage, index, and hold the bottom end of tube 18.

Core 16 may be made from solid steel rod material. As shown in FIG. 3, the eoregradually tapers from a large diame ter (provided near. bottom bearing 46) to a substantially reduced diameter (provided near upper bearing 45), the ratio of these diameters being shown as about 3:2. In other constructions incorporating this invention, this ratio may typically be as steep as 2:1 or as slight as 5:4, depending primarily'on dimensions and weights of the supply packages to be unwound. It is not generally less than about 5:4, to provide suitable flexibility of the upper spindle portion.

Blade 17, as also shown in FIG. 3, is made in tubular form, with generally uniform wall thickness, chosen to provide general rigidity. However, the blade has a groove 51, substantially directly above the rigid ring 47, in order to make the larger, upper part of the blade, above bottom bearing 46, flexible relative to the lower part of the blade, which extends below this bearing. The provision of suitable flexibility of the blade, and of the core, by proper dimensioning of the tapering design and of the groove, is of major importance for the maintenance of suitable critical speeds, as will be described presently.

In operation, blade 17 with package 19 thereon is rotated rapidly. For this reason, provision is made for effective lubrication of all bearings for the blade. In particular, and as shown in the drawing, a lubrication space is provided by and below a cover 52, slidably inserted between the core and the blade. This cover has a lower rim 53 extending along the inside of the blade, in sliding relation therewith. Lubricating grease for bottom bearing 46 is introduced into this space, where the grease, in operation, tends to move centrifugally outwards, due to the rapid rotation imparted by the blade. It then moves upwardly, along the inside of the blade, where further outward motion is stopped. The rising lubricant is largely intercepted, and downwardly returned to the bearing, by cover structure 53, 52. The rim is desirably provided with a sloping inside wall, as shown.

The aforesaid rapid rotation of certain elements tends to cause severe vibrations of the entire structure in case of any unbalance in the rotary structure. Such vibrations, which may unfavorably aflect the characteristics of the twisted filament or even cause breaking thereof, are most effectively counteracted, or in substance eliminated, by the new structure. At normal high speed rotation the new spindle runs with unexcelled evenness. It does so also when loaded with a filament packages up to very large size and mass. This evenness of operation of the new spindle can be maintained, under normal working conditions, even if the spindle vibrates strongly or perceptibly at certain lower speeds. The advantageous behavior of the new spindle, in normal operation, results from the new construction including its control over the elasticity of core and blade. The operative conditions can be demonstrated clearly by causing the rotational speed of the spindle to rise to the normal level, or to fall below it. Typically, the spindle runs smoothly at the normal high speed rate, but vibrates with various amplitudes of oscillation, at a variety of lower speeds. The frequency of vibrations is a function of the rotary speed. The exact rotational speeds which cause vibrations depend primarily on the elasticity of the core and blade. The elasticity characteristics of the unit (including the substantially rigid yarn package) also provide the evenness of spindle motion, and its high quality performance at normal high speed. Therefore, the flexure-promoting groove 51 of the blade and the upper recess 54 of the tapering core are dimensioned so as to avoid elastic criticality of the core and blade assembly at the normal, high rotational speed. Nonnal operation of the new spindle typically provides for a speed of 15,000 or 20,000 rpm.

As will be understood by persons skilled in the art, such dimensioning can and must beestablished by static and dynamic balance tests, applied to the new unit. These tests are greatly affected by such variables as the exact wall thickness used for the blade, and the dimensions of the filament package and other structures thereon. The test often depends on minor irregularities of such dimensions. As is also known, the test can be performed expeditiously by well-known test equipment (not shown here). By virtue of the new design of the spindle, also including its cap and twist rotor, the establishment of proper flexibility and elasticity and the consequent evenness of run are greatly facilitated. As a final result, filaments twisted by the new spindle are of excellent uniformity and quality.

As already indicated, the twisting operation is followed by rewinding the resulting thread on a collector spindle. As will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art, the speed and quality of operation attainable by the complete new machine are affected by the speed attainable in the operation of the collector spindle. This latter speed, as well as the other characteristics and qualities of the end product, are improved by the use of collector unit 24, shown in FlGS. l and 2 and also shown in applicants co-pending application Ser. No. 39,203, filed May 21, 1970. In the present unit, a bank 24 of collecting spindles is disposed above the supply banks, to wind filaments on collecting spindles 61, 62, which gradually grow to larger diameters 63, 64 as filament is unwound from the supply spindles. The collector spindles are mounted on rail 65, and are preferably driven by a driving unit of the type that includes a bell crank 66. As shown in the upper part of FIG. 2, this crank is swingable about a fixed pivot 67 and has a-pair of arms 68, 69 for supporting spindle 61 and for driving traverser 70 in front of this spindle. For these purposes, bell crank arm 68 carries pulley 71, which is fast on the shaft of collector spindle 61. A belt 72, driven by this pulley 71, drives pulley 73 to operate the traverser. The belt returns over movable pulley 74, mounted on arm 69, and stationarily mounted pulley 75. The collecting spindle itself is driven by surface friction roll 76, which has drive shaft 77 with pulley 78 (FIG. 1 actuated by a driving motor unit (not shown). As also indicated in the drawing, suitable supports 79 carry transfer pulley or guides 30, 31 (also see FIG. 2), to bring yarn 29 from supply unit to collector unit 24.

What is claimed is:

l. A supply spindle for upstroke twisting apparatus, said spindle comprising, in coaxial arrangement: an upstanding, stationary core; a blade disposed around said core for rotation at a high speed, such as a multiple of 10,000 revolutions per minute; a cap wide enough to overlie a package on the blade, said cap being fastened to an upper part of the blade for rotation therewith; a twisting rotor on the cap, arranged to rotate with and also relative to the same, and means on the rotor for guiding filament, such as yarn, from the package, over an outer part of the cap, to and upwardly through an upper central part of the rotor.

2. A supply spindle as described in claim 1, wherein the core a silk filament package measuring a multiple of 4 inches in diameter.

. 4. A supply spindle as described in claim 1, including upper and lower bearings for the blade, said bearings surrounding vertically spaced portions of the core.

5. A supply spindle as described in claim 4, also including an upwardly pointing, pointed end portion of the core, a hub on the underside of the cap, and a bearing between the hub and the pointed portion.

6. A supply spindle as described in claim 4, wherein the core tapers from a lower diameter, slightly smaller than the inner race of the lower bearing, to an upper diameter considerably smaller than said race.

7. A supply spindle as described in claim 4, wherein the blade is of generally uniform cross-section, substantially throughout its length, for general rigidity of the blade, but is circularly grooved in a lower portion thereof adjacent said lower bearing, to reduce the cross-section and rigidity of said lower portion.

8. A supply spindle as described in claim 1, wherein the blade has package holder means, constructed and arranged to hold the tube of a filament package so that the tube and package form a substantially rigid unit with the holder means and blade.

9. A supply spindle as described in claim 8, including a rigid structure secured to and extending outward from a lower part of the blade, and means in said structure to index the tube of the package with said structure and to provide at least part of said holder means.

10. A supply spindle as described in claim 8, including fingers extending outward from the blade, adjacent the outer race of the upper bearing, to hold the inside of the tube of the filament package.

11. A supply spindle as described in claim 1, including, in the space between the core and the inside of the blade, an annular cover slidable vertically in said space to confine lubricants disposed in said space.

12. A supply spindle as described in claim 1, including a hub centrally secured to the underside of the cap, and means in said hub for securing the hub and cap to the blade.

13. A supply spindle as described in claim 12, including a roller bearing in said hub, for said rotor.

14. A supply spindle as described in claim 13, including roller clutch means in said bearing.

15. A supply spindle as described in claim 12, wherein the rotor is movable relative to the cap in a single direction, relative to the rotation of the blade.

16. A supply spindle as described in claim 12, including a grommet on the rotor for guiding yarn from the cap to an upper central part of the rotor.

17. A supply spindle as described in claim 1 including a pulley mounted on the upper central part of the rotor, for rotation in vertical planes, to guide the yarn through said upper central part. 

1. A supply spindle for upstroke twisting apparatus, said spindle comprising, in coaxial arrangement: an upstanding, stationary core; a blade disposed around said core for rotation at a high speed, such as a multiple of 10,000 revolutions per minute; a cap wide enough to overlie a package on the blade, said cap being fastened to an upper part of the blade for rotation therewith; a twisting rotor on the cap, arranged to rotate with and also relative to the same, and means on the rotor for guiding filament, such as yarn, from the package, over an outer part of the cap, to and upwardly through an upper central part of the rotor.
 2. A supply spindle as described in claim 1, wherein the core and blade are of elastic construction, balanced to allow limited vibrations thereof when the rotary speed of the blade rises to the normal high speed or falls therebelow, and to being non-critical at said high speed.
 3. A supply spindle as described in claim 1, including means for mounting on the blade a large and heavy package, such as a silk filament package measuring a multiple of 4 inches in diameter.
 4. A supply spindle as described in claim 1, including upper and lower bearings for the blade, said bearings surrounding vertically spaced portions of the core.
 5. A supply spindle as described in claim 4, also including an upwardly pointing, pointed end portion of the core, a hub on the underside of the cap, and a bearing between the hub and the pointed portion.
 6. A supply spindle as described in claim 4, wherein the core tapers from a lower diameter, slightly smaller than the inner race of the lower bearing, to an upper diameter considerably smaller than said race.
 7. A supply spindle as described in claim 4, wherein the blade is of generally uniform cross-section, substantially throughout its length, for general rigidity of the blade, but is circularly grooved in a lower portion thereof adjacent said lower bearing, to reduce the cross-section and rigidity of said lower portion.
 8. A supply spindle as described in claim 1, wherein the blade has package holder means, constructed and arranged to hold the tube of a filament package so that the tube and package form a substantially rigid unit with the holder means and blade.
 9. A supply spindle as described in claim 8, including a rigid structure secured to and extending outward from a lower part of the blade, and means in said structure to index the tube of the package with said structure and to provide at least part of said holder means.
 10. A supply spindle as described in claim 8, including fingers extending outward from the blade, adjacent the outer race of the upper bearing, to hold the inside of the tube of the filament package. Pg,11
 11. A supply spindle as described in claim 1, including, in the space between the core and the inside of the blade, an annular cover slidable vertically in said space to confine lubricants disposed in said space.
 12. A supply spindle as described in claim 1, including a hub centrally secured to the underside of the cap, and means in said hub for securing the hub and cap to the blade.
 13. A supply spindle as described in claim 12, including a roller bearing in said hub, for said rotor.
 14. A supply spindle as described in claim 13, including roller clutch means in said bearing.
 15. A supply spindle as described in claim 12, wherein the rotor is movable relative to the cap in a single direction, relative to the rotation of the blade.
 16. A supply spindle as described in claim 12, including a grommet on the rotor for guiding yarn from the cap to an upper central part of the rotor.
 17. A supply spindle as described in claim 1, including a pulley mounted on the upper central part of the rotor, for rotation in vertical planes, to guide the yarn through said upper central part. 